Cope presents Entrepreneurship Lessons for Students

February 25, 2019

Jeff Cope (BSME 2001) spoke at this year’s Spring Professional Development Event hosted by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on Thursday, February 21st.

The mechanical engineering alumnus founded InspectionXpert Corporation in 2004, just three years after his graduation from NC State University. The company helps precision manufacturers transform their inefficient paper processes. Cope bootstrapped his business from a corner desk in his bedroom to a business with over 20 employees, 7,000 users on 6 continents in 14 different languages, and $3 million in annual revenue. His software has been used by SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Hyperloop, Roush-Yates Racing, and many others.

Cope’s journey from college student to business owner was no easy feat. In his presentation, Cope shared with the students some of the barriers he had to face, which included losing a job after September 11th, riding out the 2008 financial crisis, searching for and retaining key staff members, and of course, tackling the ongoing task of staying competitive. An inspirational presentation, Cope’s goal was to leave his audience of over 75 students with an important message: you must be willing to dream big dreams, believe in yourself, take chances, make mistakes, and learn quickly from those mistakes in order to make your dreams a reality.

For more information on the department’s Professional Development Events and how to become involved, contact Director of Undergraduate Student Affairs, Dr. Jeffrey Eischen.